Terrifier probably won’t surprise you. Mostly because their new album is called Weapons of Thrash Destruction. Just like they promised, it’s thrash metal — and thrash done just the way I like it. It’s not overly macho (well, for the most part. See: “Drunk as Fuck”), and it’s got a refreshing sense of humor (see: the beginning of “Skitzoid Embolism”). But mostly, I like sick riffs and crazy solos. And this album has more than your average thrash record.
The opening track, “Reanimator”, is a glorious indoctrination into Terrifier’s sound. Quick riffs, a beefy rhythm section, and an Araya-worthy thrash metal scream set the tone, and Terrifier never look back. Thrash Destruction manages to hit the thrash sweet spot: it’s unrelentingly heavy and fast, but it’s not quite so heavy and fast that it falls into fatigue like death metal can. There aren’t really any spells in the onslaught, but Terrifier should be able to keep you right on the mirror’s edge of breakneck speed without actually breaking your neck.
Part of the fun of Terrifier is that every band member is a real maestro of their respective instruments. Their technical ability allows them to play just about any ridiculous riff or wonky lead they can dream up at an incredible BPM. They’re all veterans, too; Terrifier was born in 2012, but before that they were known as Skull Hammer, with a history stretching back to 2003. They must’ve had a lot of riffs hanging around in the dust bin after all those years, because they broke them all out for this album. The RPM (riffs per minute) on this album is ludicrous. Riffs are dished out as fast as they can be digested, discarded before they can be mourned, with another rip-roarer to take its place. Solos are taken to their greedy excess on Thrash Destruction, and it is wonderful. Terrifier throw the idea of one solo per song out with the earplugs, and dole them out as delicious palate cleansers to relieve the cascade of riffs. Some bands might decide to slow down, change tempo, maybe even throw in a ballad to switch things up; Terrifier says “screw it”, and squeals a solo instead. It’s a formula that can get a little monotonous after an album’s worth of material — but when the songs are as absurdly good as “Sect of the Serpent”, you can get away with it.
Terrifier are delightfully fun and satisfyingly heavy. It’s not an easy combination to pull off, but Terrifier do it spooky good. Throw some Terrifier on and get scared!